Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2004)
April 1, 2004 Page 5 Letters to the editor Cascade Locks is best solution for casino Spilyqy Tyrooo, Warm Springs, Oregon Since the loss Hello friends and relatives. It has been a very difficult time for my household since the loss of my granddaughter. Even though we have lost her, her love fills the voids. There is not a minute that goes by we don't think of her. As the real ity of our loss hits us, we hold our breath and pray for help and comfort. Every morning we re mind ourselves to get up and get on with a new day. We remind ourselves to breath and go on with life as hard as it may be. We pray that someday we won't have to remind ourselves to breath, take a shower, or make a meal. That the pain will ease enough that we can do it without reminding ourselves. There are so many people who have helped along the way, I can't possibly name them all. We really do appreciate you all for the help in these trying times. May God bless you for all you have done. Thank you sincerely. Sarah Ike, Shanda Culps, and Curtis Stacona. A poem Time for a change; a cry for our people: Niiy-you-way People, brave and true, What has really hap pened to you. Money has come and made you blind, to your fellow man, who's left behind. Mother Earth cries, her laws forgotten, sitting alone, becom ing rotten. This land made a promise or so it's been said, My heart grows hungary nad wants to be fed. A piece of pie called the American Dream, But there's too many rules, you just want to scream. Sody- Ya Poo ways we've learned to embrance. Our elders would say, "What a disgrace." They fought for this land so we could live, to help those less fortunate, we must always give. Nii Yow Way People, brave and true, what are you going to do? Ask yourself what has been done these past few years. The people unheard, for gotten, make you heart shed tears. John Beevis, Pendleton, "in-law," supporting Tony "Big Rat" Suppah, Simnasho Coun cil candidate. Apologies I would like to take this time to apologize to the Warm Springs community for my wrong-doings on or about Feb. 27, for driving under the influ ence of alcohol. Once again I apologize. It will never happen again. Sincerely, Lydell Adams. Dear Warm Springs, I just want to apologize for my actions on one those days, and in the future it won't happen again. And I'm trying to get my life together again and I'm looking for a job. Ralph Aguilar Jr. I am writing this letter to apologize to the community of Warm Springs for driving un der the influence. I would also like to say I'm sorry to Tyrone and Tony. Thank you for your time. H.B. Haskell without Internet LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -Students at Haskell Indian Na tions University and tens of thousands of other students at American Indian schools have found themselves scrambling after a court ruling shut down their Internet access. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth last week ordered the Interior Department to pull the plug on most of its Internet connections, finding that the department still hasn't fixed computer security problems that could jeopardize millions of dollars in royalties for American Indians.;. Lamberth 's order cut off ac cess for about 900 Haskell stu dents, as well as students at Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. Also losing access were most of the 50,000 students who attend elementary, secondary and boarding schools either directly operated by the BIA or funded by the BIA and tribally operated. Those 184 schools are located on 63 reservations in 23 states, said Dan DuBray, an Interior Department spokesman. Affected schools get their Internet services through the Educational Native American Network, which is directed by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Besides being unable to send and receive e-mail and conduct Internet research, Web sites for Haskell and other institutions connected to the Department of Interior also are down. In Lawrence, Haskell stu dents have been advised to go to the city or University of Kan sas libraries to conduct Internet research until the service is re stored. "We've not been told when we'll be back up," said David Fire, Haskell's director of computer services. "I doubt that itll be anvtime soon." University spokeswoman Lori Tapahonso said many stu dents had finished their midterm research projects before Internet access was shut down. But those who are still working, as well students and faculty do ing long-term research, are en countering difficulties. "It doesn't sound like a big deal to just go to K.U. or the public library (for Internet and research)," Kerrie Blevins, a Cherokee sophomore from Bro ken Arrow, Okla. told the Lawrence Journal-World. "But if you go to K.U., you have to pay $15 for an ID, and a lot of students don't have that kind of money. And they don't have cars, so it's asking a lot for them to walk all the way to the library downtown." The ruling is related to a 1996 lawsuit, Cobell v. Norton, that was filed on behalf of American Indian landowners who allege the Department of Interior mishandled tens of bil lions of dollars in oil, gas, tim ber and grazing royalties. By Vic Atiyeh Former Governor Of Oregon I read with great interest of Hood River County Commis sioner Carol York's encouraging a new tribal casino within the City of Cascade Locks. For over seven years the Con federated Tribes of Warm Springs have worked patiently with the people of the Colum bia River Gorge to forge a com mon vision for the transition to a new tourist economy. Now is the right time to make this vi sion a reality. Oregon needs clean, job pro ducing economic development which is both consistent with our economic needs and our envi ronmental values. A compromise, proposed by Commissioner York, has all the ingredients of a classic Oregon solution to the complex issue of where to site the casino the Warm Springs Tribe is entitled under federal law to build. The people in Hood River, understandably, do not want the Casino on tribal trust lands east of Hood River. That location is outside the I Iood River city lim its in the Columbia Gorge Sce nic Area and straddles the Mark (). Hatfield State Trail. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 19S8, the Tribes have had every legal right to build there now. But they have not - out of respect for the people of the Columbia River communities who think it is a flawed site. Thankfully, the federal stat ute, the Indian Gaming Regula tor)' Act, allows the Secretary of the Interior to take certain lands into trust for gaming purposes. The Secretary must deter mine - after consultation with appropriate State and local of ficials - that a gaming establish ment on newly acquired lands would be in the best interest of the Indian tribe and its members, and would not be detrimental to the surrounding community. The governor of the state must "concur" in this determi nation, in order for this decision to stand. This legal right opens the possibility for commissioner York's compromise to become a reality. The people of economically depressed Cascade Locks want the Warm Springs casino at a little used industrial site, within their city limits. Building a gam ing facility at this compromise site would mean nearly 1.8 mil lion hours of work for building and construction workers - a payroll of about $50 million. Once opened, a casino in this former mill town would provide 1,000 much needed full-time jobs and an invigorated tax base. Our Columbia River Scenic Act and Oregon land use law en- . courages economic develop ment within the city limits of towns in the Scenic Area. I understand that is why sev eral Columbia Gorge Commis sion members have expressed support for this project. Leaders in Cascade Locks have wisely sought the Warm Springs casino to give their com munity the economic boost that these clean tourism jobs provide and they so badly need. An ad ditional environment benefit of this balanced approach would be the chance to preserve and pro tect those scenic, sensitive lands east of I lood River. We all are greatly concerned about the harsh economic and social realities on Oregon's larg est Indian reservation - over 50 percent of the tribal members are unemployed. The economic recovery of the Warm Springs Tribe is ben eficial to all Oregonians, and lessens the tribes' dependence on any taxpayer programs in these budget-constrained times. A Casino at Cascade Locks will generate the funds to pay for basic health, housing and education services - assuring tribal members hope for a bet ter tomorrow. As a former Oregon gover nor, I sincerely urge Gov. Kulongoski to meet with the leaders of the Warm Springs tribe and take advantage of this historic opportunity and bring so many benefits to so many Or egonians. The need is great and the time is right. Root Feast Jackpot Rodeo April 24-25 The Warm Springs Rodeo Grounds will be the scene this month of the Root Feast Jack pot Rodeo. The event is on Sat urday and Sunday, April 24-25, starting at 1 p.m. daily. The event is sponsored by the Warm Springs Rodeo Asso ciation. The association invites all vis iting royalty to participate in the Grand Entry. Events include saddle bronc, bareback, calf roping, breakaway roping, senior bar rels,' wirdlioiise'ce, junior'' bal'-'i it)'. I, -)CI til )j;!IJ ';' rels, calf riding (7-10 year olds), junior bulls (1 1 to 16 year olds), bull riding, limit of 30 riders, and team roping. Rodeo entry information: books open Monday, April 19, and Tuesday, April 20. Office hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Call backs, Thursday, April 22. There are no "day of ro deo" entries. Call (541) 553-1342 for information. $10 contestant fee. $30 contestant fee wild horse race teams. No fee for youth -U l.f mil' (! 'n. !'. '' Early Bird Eaotor Troacuro Hunt Where? The Museum at Warm Springs. When? Saturday, April 1 1 from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. How? Bring your own con tainer and hunt for treasures hidden in the west field of the museum grounds. Seek to the heart's content. A, ) Computer running slow? Need a computer new enough to surf? 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